Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists he is focused on the Gunners’ opening game of the Premier League season against Liverpool on Sunday (14 August) – not signing new players.
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Arsenal have not won a league title since 2004, and with Granit Xhaka being their only major signing this summer, not many are tipping the north Londoners to hold the Premier League title aloft in May next year.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Wenger said: “We’ve had two unexpected injuries with Mertesacker and Gabriel, and Koscielny came back very late so we are in a hard position for Sunday’s game against Liverpool”.
“I don’t count in numbers as the squad is too big”, he beamed.
There were suggestions in the press that Wenger might rush the 30-year-old back sooner than expected and start him against Liverpool to help ease Arsenal’s crisis in defence. Also, Gabriel Paulista will miss the clash after rupturing his knee during a friendly match between Arsenal and Manchester City.
Wenger has been trying for a number of weeks to bring in an experienced centre-back with West Brom defender Johnny Evans linked with a move to the Emirates.
“All teams compete highly to have a top squad”.
Both encounters between the sides last season resulted in draws, and you can get odds of 23/10 (3.30) on them cancelling each other out once again here. “That’s a good experience for a centre-back, to deal with one level higher”.
And when asked to predict how the top four of the Premier League table will look at the end of the season, Carragher told Sky Sports News HQ: “Man City, Chelsea, Man United, Liverpool. It is very hard to find the quality of players who are available”.
With the Premier League season set to begin, relive some of the best moments from the historic 2015-16 campaign.
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The Arsenal boss said: “Where you could approximately value a player before, today the identity of a club that comes in for a transfer is far more important than the rest”.
